An amalgam filling in the teeth consists of half mercury. The substance is one of the most dangerous environmental toxins and cannot be broken down but is stored in soil, water and living organisms.
Sweden has had a ban on the use of dental amalgam since 2009 and has worked actively within the global Minamata Convention on Environmental and Health Protection to achieve a global ban.
"It is particularly gratifying that countries that were previously opposed now see the benefits of phasing out dangerous mercury," says Minister of Climate and Environment Romina Pourmokhtari in a press release.
